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Arcade Fire: Reflektor

EVERYONE IS GOING DISCO
Is this an Arcade Fire album? Indeed, is this Arcade Fire? The Montreal band has had fans and critics enthralled; all the way from Funeral to Neon Bible to The Suburbs, each album a milestone of sorts. The last proved that they have been accepted by the music industry and perhaps, the majority of the discerning public – winning them the Grammy award for 2011’s Album of the Year. Their fourth then, is possibly the most anticipated of their career. And how they have answered: a two-part album opus with 13 tracks, gifting over 75 minutes worth of music to all who waited. And they have abandoned rock’n’roll for indie dance.

Are we to fault James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) for bringing punchy synths and drumming to the fore? Or are the married frontmen Win Butler and Régine Chassagne looking too much towards Chassagne’s Haitian heritage and imbibing too much Caribbean culture during their visits to Jamaica? Or do we blame their co-conspirators, Owen Pallet, Kid Koala, even David Bowie (who appears on the album)? This is complex; accomplished work that’s even got us thinking about it so much, we’ve run out of space to gush over the songs. No matter, we should all just listen, reflect… and then genuflect to genius.